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Wednesday, 29 January 2014

In Another's Shoes

I’m
sitting on the picket fence. Balanced precariously,
deep in thought and scanning the street.
I watch the cars go by, twitching ever so slightly when they do. It would be so easy to walk out in front of
one by mistake; to feel the hot granite on the pads of my feet. A fly buzzes around my face and I swat it
away, agitated that it’s ruining this time for me. I get distracted with it and try to catch
it, or at least injure it in a way that makes it squirm around in circles next
to me.

I’m
locked out of the house and I’m hungry.
Half an hour ago I was inside in the cool, then I made the mistake of
leaving; forced to wait with patience I don’t really possess.

I could
go for a massage, around my shoulders and my temples; soothing into my skin and
relaxing the muscles that are now spasming from sitting on the fence. I would close my eyes and grin; maybe even
softly purr my thanks.

Suddenly
I feel sick and I heave, losing my balance and falling; landing square on my
feet. I choke and splutter over the
grass and then stagger away onto the pavement.
For a moment I still feel sick, but then I swallow and feel my strength
coming back. I have no idea when I’ll be
able to get back into the house so I decide to go for a run around the oval, my
feet padding against the grass, the sun warm on my back.

I
become exhausted and plonk down onto my back, staring up at the sky and the
trees and the birds. My ear
twitches. I stretch out and yawn,
flipping onto my stomach with bits of dry grass sticking to my back. I wonder what it would be like to fly. I wonder why the kid across the oval is
kicking that ball. I flinch when another
car speeds passed.

I’m bored
so I pick myself up and stroll back into the gates of home; listening to the dinging
of a bell. I perch on the front
deck. She should be home soon. She’ll open the door for me and I’ll sprint
in, munch on some food and collapse on the bed in the third room, stretch out
and fall asleep, dreaming.

---

If you
didn’t pick it up,
this is told from the point of view of a cat.
Now read the story again :)